Anima - Into the Shadows

A Serpentine Ally

26

JAN/12

A deal…a deal and it would all be worth it. Stepping forth from the shadows of time, Ophion joined the group known as the Council of Gaea and delivered the document entrusted to him by the one once known as Raphael — and who had now rejoined the rivers of life, or whatever fate awaited those tainted by the blood of Nephilim.

Regardless, this “Council” seemed to accept his presence with little fanfare after being introduced by the Mistress of the Lantern, Nezumi.

Ophion stood rigid and still, with a serpentine grace belying the true coiled strength beneath his dark, loose clothing. His eyes, filled with a golden light and vertical pupils like the penumbra of a dying sun, surveyed the icy doors that stood before the group. If he understood correctly, the group had tracked some sort of daemons — bone collectors — to this area, by virtue of a tracking device implanted on a VIP’s bodyguards.

They descended through the icy door — its frozen barrier no match for their unyielding strength — and entered the darkness below. The ice and cold radiated from an altar of bone. “Who?” a voice echoed from the shadows, accompanied by the creaking chains of confinement.

A savage encounter with a pair of bone collectors followed, with one bone collector being ground into dust, while the other was banished back to whatever realm it came from. The altar — surrounded by a ring of bones — appeared to be crafted from the remains of Senator Quinn’s body, in a grotesque final service to the mortal realm.

Canvasing the area, the Council determined women in golden masks were responsible for the crude place of worship, and the name “Tyrese” was mentioned. Summoning Senator Tyrese to the home of Vito, a confrontation led to Taro loping off the Senator’s head — but did little to stop his wagging tongue. “i am not a senator,” he declared, his voice hissing like the last cinders of a glorious conflagration. “i am an infernal duke, and shall be shown the proper respect,” he continued, as his body gave a slight bow. “i have been tyrese for many months now — luxuriating in your mortal realm…mmmm. should you wish to know the true source of your problems, however, know that all you need to incriminate marcus is in these documents…” Then the Duke faded into cinders and ash.

The Jurgen Agent Rachel told them they needed to return to their own time as soon as possible, while a Lannet ambassador delivered a mysterious scroll depicting the Emperor of Lannet and, along with him, their once-companion Nicolai holding the time-travel device and crystal.